Patent Sales

IAM recently covered AT&T’s increased activity in the secondary patent market, with Lyft, Uber and Facebook among the companies that have purchased its assets. The telecoms giant has a significant portfolio – in terms of volume and quality – which has attracted a number of businesses looking to bolster their own holdings.

In our sixth annual report on the secondary patent market, we find stabilization and even recovery. Years of negative results for patent holders have created a community feel that does not comport with the market data. Sales increased to just under $300M from $165M last year.

The profiles of patent buyers, as well as their motivations, are changing. This makes the ability to package assets to maximize deal-making success more important than ever. Mr. Richardson presents on a panel including Russ Binns, CEO of AST, Ray Strimaitis, VP Intellectual Property, Yahoo, and Ed Fish, Co-Head Technology and IP, Houlihan Lokey.

Given that only 30% of patents on the market ever sell, and with many hundreds of patent packages available at any given time, how can you ensure that your offering stands out as attractive to serious buyers?